Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

तं प्रहारचिंत्यैव निमिर्निर्भयपौरुषः । ऐरावतं कटीदेशे मुद्गरेणाभ्यताडयत्

Transliteration

taṃ prahāraciṃtyaiva nimirnirbhayapauruṣaḥ | airāvataṃ kaṭīdeśe mudgareṇābhyatāḍayat

Translation

Ne songeant qu’à porter le coup, Nimi — vaillant et sans crainte — fracassa Airāvata au flanc d’un coup de massue.

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रहारचिन्त्य: having thought of striking / considering it a blow
• प्रहारचिन्त्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक) + चिन्त्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √चिन्त्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रहारः चिन्त्यः = ‘to be considered as a blow’/‘thinking of striking’)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/निश्चयार्थक निपात)

• निमिः: Nimi
• निमिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निर्भयपौरुषः: one whose valor is fearless
• निर्भयपौरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्भय (प्रातिपदिक) + पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (निर्भयं पौरुषं यस्य)

• ऐरावतम्: Airāvata (Indra’s elephant)
• ऐरावतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कटीदेशे: on the hip/waist region
• कटीदेशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटी (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कटीदेशः)

• मुद्गरेण: with a hammer/mace
• मुद्गरेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• अभ्यताडयत्: struck hard/beat
• अभ्यताडयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + आ + तड् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nimi, fearless and intent only on the strike, swings his heavy mace into Airāvata’s flank; the blow lands with crushing certainty.

Characters & Entities

• Nimi
• Airāvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fearless resolve and disciplined focus in one’s duty (kṣātra-dharma) are portrayed as decisive in conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is part of a martial narrative within the Māheśvara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a battlefield strike.